The present invention is directed to air driven diaphragm pumps and is more specifically directed to the assemblies of such pumps.
Air driven diaphragm pumps have found great utility in construction and industrial uses. The durable and reliable nature of these devices along with their ability to handle a wide variety of substances have made these pumps mandatory equipment in many applications. In many construction and maintenance operations, the portability of these devices is also a major advantage.
In pumps of this nature, the least durable part of the pump is most often the diaphragm or diaphragms used to alternately expand and contract the pumping chamber. Such diaphragms are expected to survive a high number of flexure cycles and a significant amount of abrasion due to the environment in which they are to operate. These conditions have been found to result in the diaphragms becoming the most frequently replaced components in such pumps.
In spite of the need to periodically replace diaphragms in such devices, the diaphragms are located by necessity in positions where the major portion of the pump must be disassembled to effect their replacement. The outer pump cavity housings must naturally be removed. Furthermore, the inlet and outlet manifolding associated with those outer housings also must be detached. Heretofore, clamp bands have been employed to hold the diaphragm chamber housings together; and separate attachment mechanisms have been used to secure the manifolds. To provide repeated easy access to the diaphragm, a substantial number of bolts, clamp bands and associated fasteners have been required. Naturally, with each additional component, the pump gains in weight, cost and complexity. At the same time, the difficulty of disassembly and reassembly increases and the possibility of error becomes greater. Thus, it has long been a goal of the pump manufacturers to reduce the number of components and potential trouble spots associated with such pumps.
The foregoing difficulty is greatly aggravated in certain industries and uses where frequent dismantling is required. In brewing, all system components handling yeast or mixtures containing yeast, including pumps, must be broken down daily for cleaning. In pumping certain substances, it may also be necessary to frequently clean the pump chambers to prevent product build up and the like. Therefore, there are many situations where the pumps must be disassembled far more frequently than would be required to replace a diaphragm which has failed. Naturally, the possibilities for error are greatly increased with such frequent dismantling.